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The first European Games are nearing their conclusion with this Sunday’s closing ceremonies in Baku, Azerbaijan. More than 6,000 athletes from European Olympic nations have been competing in 20 sports, mainly traditional, but also including beach volleyball, martial arts such as karate and Sambo, and 3x3 basketball.
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Athletes clear the water jump during the women's 3000 metres steeplechase during day nine of the Baku 2015 European Games at the Olympic Stadium on June 21 in Azerbaijan. (Matthias Hangst/Getty Images )
Bronze medalist Olga Ivanova (blue) of Russia and Maryna Konieva of Ukraine compete in the +67kg women's taekwondo bronze bout on June 19. (Maxim Shipenkov/EPA)
Germany's Margareta Kozuch and Anja Brandt compete in the women's volleyball preliminary round match against the Netherlands in Crystal Hall on June17. (Bernd Thissen/EPA)
People walk near the giant ring with the flame of the 2015 European Games at the embankment of Caspian Sea in Baku on June 21. The 2015 European Games are held in Baku till June 28. (Dmitry Lovetsky/Associated Press)
Flagbearers Namig Adullayev of Azerbaijan, Thomas Bimis of Greece, Niccolo Campriani of Italy, Lucie Decosse of France, Krisztina Fazekas Zur of Hungary, Katie Taylor of Ireland, Servet Tazegul of Turkey and Elena Zamolodchikova of Russa carry the flag of the EOC during the Opening Ceremony for the Baku 2015 European Games at the National Stadium on June 12. (Richard Heathcote/Getty Images )
Anna Thea Madsen of Denmark competes against Fiorella Marie Sadowski of Malta during their women's badminton singles match on June 24. (Stoyan Nenov/Reuters)
A general view of the stadium at sunset during the women’s water polo group A match between the Netherlands an Hungary on day three of the Baku 2015 European Games at the Water Polo Arena on June 15. (Matthias Hangst/Getty Images )
Arrows stick in a target with a smiley icon duing the warm up for the men’s individual archery competition at the 1st European Games in Baku, Azerbaijan, on June 22. (Kai Pfaffenbach/Reuters)
Llorenc Gomez (center) of Spain kicks the ball next to Simone Marinai of Italy during their group stage beach soccer match on June 24. (Kai Pfaffenbach/Reuters)
Laura Giombini of Italy celebrates victory during the women’s beach volleyball quarter final against Rimke Braakman and Jolien Sinnema of Netherlands on June 19. (Tom Pennington/Getty Images )
Alice Volpi (second-left) of Italy poses with her gold medal on the podium after winning the women’s individual foil final during the fencing competition on June 24. Volpi won ahead of second placed Yana Alborova (left) of Russia, and Valentina Cipriani (second-right) of Italy, and Adelina Zagidullina (right) of Russia, both sharing the third place. (Maxim Shipenkov/EPA)
Kristine Esebua of Georgia takes aim during their round of 1/8 competition on June 17. (Stoyan Nenov/Reuters)
Islam Islamaj (blue) of Albania and Alexandru Chirtoaca (red) of Moldova compete in the men’s freestyle 57kg wrestling bronze match on June 17. (Sergey Dolzhenko/EPA)
Vladimir Samsonov of Belarus eyes the ball during his gold medal table tennis match against Dimitrij Ovtcharov of Germany on June 19. (Kai Pfaffenbach/Reuters)
Athletes of Belgium and Turkey play during their women’s group stage 3x3 basketball match on June 23. With thumping music, ferocious slamdunks and sublime skill, 3x3 basketball came out with a bang on Tuesday at the inaugural European Games, but the sport with inner-city backyard origins has far bigger ambitions, a place at the Olympics. It has been played as "streetball" and other guises for years but in 2007 the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) identified it as a "sport with a young, urban and positive image" and began to focus on heightening its profile. (Kai Pfaffenbach/Reuters)
Ibrahim Colak of Turkey competes in the men’s rings final on June 20. (Matthias Hangst/Getty Images )
Lithuania's Henrikas Zustautas (center) takes first place in the canoe single 200m men’s final at the 2015 European Games in Mingachevir, some 300 km from Baku on June 16. (Kirill Kudryavstsev/AFP/Getty Images)
Hanna Baughn and Ryan Bartlett of Britain compete during the acrobatic gymnastics mixed pair final on June 19. (Kai Pfaffenbach/Reuters)
Russia's Nikita Krug controls the ball during the men’s water polo group A preliminary round match Russia vs Ukraine on June 13. (Kirill Kudryavstsev/AFP/Getty Images)
Marija Vukovic of Montenegro in action during the women's high jump at the National Olympic Stadium in Baku on June 22. (Srdjan Suki/EPA)
Athletes compete during the mountain bike competition on June 13. (Dmitry Lovetsky/Associated Press)
The team of France performs during the synchronized swimming free combination final on June16. (Robert Ghement/EPA)
Aleksandr Bogomoev of Russia (red) and Beka Lomtadze of Georgia (blue) compete in the men's qrestling 61kg freestyle gold medal match at the Heydar Aliyev Arena on June 18. (Harry Engels/Getty Images )
Monika Michalik (blue) of Poland and Andrea Simon (red) of Romania compete in the women's freestyle 63kg wrestling repechage matchon on June 16. (Srdjan Suki/EPA)
Aykhan Taghizade of Azerbaijan celebrates after winning his men's 68Kg taekwondo gold medal fight against Karol Robak of Poland on June 17. (Stoyan Nenov/Reuters)